During the summer the amount of water we drink increases, although it is true that there is also a loss. However, keep in mind that drinking a lot of water can be harmful. Here we explain why.
Water is one of the central elements of the survival of our organism, and concerning the amount of water we should drink, there are always controversies since, in addition, each body is a world.
Traditionally it is understood that around two liters of water should be drunk daily, taking great care not to overdo it.
However, why is drinking a lot of water harmful? Here we tell you everything you need to know about this curiosity of the human body.
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Table of Contents
How much water is it advisable to drink each day?
- As previously mentioned, it is advisable for both adults and children to drink around two liters of it per day.
- However, for many people, it is quite difficult to follow this recommendation.
- A very good way to force yourself to drink the necessary water would be the “8×8 rule” which involves drinking 8 glasses of it containing about 240 ml.
- One source for this idea is found in the 1974 book Nutrition for Good Health by nutritionists Margaret McWilliams and Frederick Stare
- In this it was recommended that an average adult should consume between six and eight glasses of water a day.
- However, other scientific studies establish that we would not have to force ourselves to drink even the 2 liters, but that we would have to drink as our body asks us to.
- Its the fact that throughout the day we do not exclusively drink water. Most beverages are included in the rule.
- In the same way, there are fruits and vegetables that contain up to 98% water.
Benefits of drinking water
- Relieves fatigue
- Avoid headaches and migraines
- Helps in digestion and prevents constipation
- Helps maintain the beauty of the skin
- Regulates body temperature
- Reduces the risk of cancer
Improves the immune system - Reduces the risk of heart problems
Why is drinking a lot of water harmful?
- The benefits of drinking it are almost endless. There is no list that can summarize how good proper hydration is for our body.
- However, if we go overboard with the amount of water we drink, this can be very harmful to our bodies.
- Drinking a lot of fluids can be severe when it causes a dilution of sodium in the blood.
- It has serious consequences in terms of inflammation of the brain and lungs, as well as heart problems.
- That is, drinking a lot of water causes a sudden drop in sodium levels. Consequently, the salts dissolve in a greater quantity of liquid, this penetrates the cells and increases their size.
- Faced with these large amounts of fluid, the body has trouble expelling excess water and therefore, the urinary system retains much more fluid than usual.
- Consequently, we have to avoid drinking more than 10 glasses of water a day.
- taking into account that we consume many other beverages and that all foods contain equally liquid, in the case of fruits such as melon and watermelon, typical during the summer heat.
How to know if we have drunk too much water?
- It is essential to pay attention to our body since it will always give us signs that something is happening to us.
- In this case, if we have drunk excessive water, we experience a series of symptoms that, although it is true that we can confuse some of them with those of dehydration.
- we will perfectly know how to identify them and relate to having consumed a lot of fluids. Here we present the most frequent ones:
Drink when you are not thirsty
- Muscle spasms or cramps
- Sickness
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Tiredness
- Weight gain
- Lip, hand, and foot augmentation
- Numbness of arms and legs
What are the symptoms of dehydration?
On the contrary, it may happen that it is not that we have drunk a lot of water, but that we have hardly drunk.
Always remember that it can lead to dehydration, especially in summer when temperatures rise and heat strokes arrive.
Here are the main symptoms of this situation so that you pay attention to your body:
- Dark yellow urine
- Tiredness
- Dizziness
- Dry lips and eyes
- Urinate less than four times a day
- Feeling very thirsty
conclusion
You must take into account the weight, activity, and morphology of each person to know how much water you should drink.
Nutritionists keep repeating that drinking enough water is essential for our bodies to function properly. And they are right, but if you consume too much it can lead to overhydration with negative consequences.
